Chadwick Bell

"A perfect woman in an imperfect situation," is how Chadwick Bell describes the theme of his latest collection. As he explained backstage before his show, his primary touchstones were two radically different, yet spiritually similar, works of art: Picasso's Boy with Pipe and Arlene Gottfried's Midnight, which in turn led to his discovery of a series of Bob Richardson-lensed photographs of Anjelica Huston. "She's well-kept but dangerous," he explained, elaborating on his imagined muse, "and her hair looks like she fell asleep in a cab."

For his models, this inspiration translated to a sort of Frankenstein chic: With teased hair and bright red lips, they walked under flickering lights to ominous music straight out of a horror flick. Still, the clothing was anything but scary. Bell demonstrated his ability to create alluring looks with a variety of materials, from fur (a stunning silver fox coat worn with stockings and spotted platform heels) to silk (a completely backless printed jumpsuit). And let's not forget the python and leather separates and tuxedo jackets with matador embroidery, complete with pompoms. All in all, it's safe to say the designer has stepped up his game—and reminded us how very enticing imperfection can be.